Montana State University - Nightlife

Located in the basement of the historic Bozeman hotel, the Zebra is a dance club that also contains a billiard lounge and whiskey emporium called Colonel Blacks, as well as an area called The Stage that presents musical acts Thursday through Saturday.

The Baxter was built in 1929 by a man who realized the need for Bozeman to have a downtown centerpiece where the community could come together. The building is now under new ownership, and the owners are trying to reestablish the old, antique feel of The Baxter. The Baxter will be a premier dining establishment, a fun bar with great live music, and a place to go to get a feel for old Bozeman.

Formerly known as Little John’s Bar, Mixers has been undergoing some major changes since it was created a year ago. Its nonsmoking atmosphere makes it popular with everyone, but the majority of regulars are students who love to listen to the live request DJ on Wednesday through Friday.

KO’s caters to college students looking to have a good time on the dance floor. There is usually a live DJ there keeping everyone on the hip-hop dance floor. The recent addition of two poker tables draws in a mixture of students and Bozeman residents.

Plonk is so great, it doesn’t have to offer specials. Attracting an artsy group, the bar is Bozeman’s high-class hideaway. The feel is that of a Manhattan bar until you look out the window and see sky instead of tall buildings.

The Crystal Bar is always full with MSU people, whether they are students, staff, or alumni. Unlike most of the other older bars, it hasn’t been remodeled in over 20 years, so it still has a familiar atmosphere for returning alumni. It’s also the best place in town to have some whiskey and steak while observing the ever-growing bra collection from women who like to get onstage and add their lingerie to the conglomeration.

The Legion has DJs on the weekends, a perk lots of college kids like to take advantage of. This usually leads to a lot of drunken dancing.

The R is a sports bar that has a small Pickle Barrel sandwich shop inside it. This gives it an interesting atmosphere during the day when it’s full of families grabbing lunch and people drinking beer and yelling at the big screen TVs. One of the nicer bars in Bozeman, it offers imported beer, mixed drinks, and occasionally some live music at night.

This fine-dining establishment goes from high-class meals to a wild party, all within a few hours. During the day, Boodles is the place for Bozemanites to catch a delicious lunch, but after the food is served for the day, college students invade it, transforming its atmosphere into that of a fun, popular place to get a drink. It also boasts the best handcrafted cocktails in town.

With its quiet, tranquil atmosphere, Korner Club bar and restaurant has continually added to its already lengthy list of regulars.

Check out the local bands playing at any of the coffeeshops around town, especially The Leaf & Bean. For a wilder night, head over to The Zebra, or go to one of The Baxter’s 18-and-over dances.